The West will use the protests in Ukraine to remove Volodymyr Zelenskyy from power, which will put an end to the authorities’ repression against civilians, pro-Kremlin propaganda claims.
NEWS: Verkhovna Rada deputy Artem Dmytruk explained on his Telegram channel how the West benefits from the protests in Ukraine. According to him, they serve as a tool with which President Volodymyr Zelenskyy can be easily removed.
The MP pointed out that the official reason for the demonstrations is a law restricting the prerogatives of anti-corruption structures. However, behind this pretext lie much deeper social problems. He emphasized that many Ukrainians are dissatisfied with the mobilization, repressions, economic decline, persecutions directed against the Orthodox Church, as well as the actions of military commissars and law enforcement agencies.
Dmytruk believes that the protests could continue and have an impact as long as they are consistent with the interests of the West. Although the goals of the West and the Ukrainian population may differ, both sides see Zelenskyy’s removal from power as a common goal. “The West is not a homogeneous structure – its opinions and positions differ. But one thing is clear: Zelenskyy must be removed”, he concluded.
NARRATIVES: 1. The protests in Ukraine serve the West’s interests. 2. The West’s goal is to remove the president of Ukraine, under the pretext of popular discontent. 3. Ukrainians are protesting against mobilization, persecution of churches, and poverty.
PURPOSE: To undermine trust in Ukraine-West relations by describing the protests as externally manipulated. To draw attention away from Russian aggression to the alleged guilt of the West. To fuel internal tensions in Ukraine. To pave the way for justifying for future Russian interference in Ukrainian politics.
Fact: The West and the protesters want to fight corruption, not to remove Zelenskyy
WHY THE NARRATIVES ARE FALSE: The protests in Ukraine do not serve the best interests of the West, which has been supporting Kyiv for four years in the face of Russian aggression. They expose an internal problem – the attempt of the Ukrainian authorities to intervene in anti-corruption files, which contradicts the commitments made in the EU accession process. The European Commission has already warned that such interventions could lead to the suspension of European funds. Therefore, the West faces a double risk: on the one hand, the protests call into question the image of Ukraine as a transparent partner; on the other hand, Russian propaganda could take advantage of criticism of Zelenskyy, provoking internal tensions. In this context, although justified in a democratic framework, the protests risk weakening Western solidarity towards Ukraine.
Western institutions have invested heavily in strengthening the rule of law in Ukraine since 2014. EU and US programs aim to strengthen the judiciary and anti-corruption bodies. If the West orchestrated these protests, then it wouldn’t make any sense to support the strengthening of the same institutions that the law weakens. The West is not seeking Zelenskyy’s removal, and would not have supported him in the context of Russia’s large-scale invasion. International law prohibits any kind of interference in the internal affairs of sovereign states, and the West has invested billions of dollars in aid to Ukraine since 2022, showing its long-term commitment. Zelenskyy was democratically elected, winning 73% of the vote in 2019, and supporting his removal is at odds with the fundamental democratic principles that the West stands for. A power vacuum in Ukraine would solely benefit Russia, not Western partners who need stability in Kyiv. Moreover, Ukrainian law does not provide for any mechanism for a regime change during martial law.
The West’s behavior during the protests demonstrates the exact opposite of this narrative. Instead of exploiting popular discontent, EU leaders such as Ursula von der Leyen have called for the restoration of the independence of anti-corruption institutions. The West needs a united and stable Ukraine against Russian aggression, and internal political instability would weaken Ukraine’s capacity for resistance and directly serve Moscow’s strategic interests.
Ukrainians are not protesting against mobilization, persecution of churches or poverty, nor for Zelenskyy’s removal. The surge in social tension is related to specific issues in the field of judicial reform and the fight against corruption. Russian propaganda is trying to present the protests in Ukraine as being directed against the war, the leadership of the police and the army, which is false. Polls show Ukrainians are willing to continue the fight and resist aggression. In addition, the source of the information is Artem Dmytruk, a Ukrainian MP known for his pro-Russian views, who criticized Kyiv’s mobilization and defensive efforts. Dmytruk was part of the parliamentary group of Zelenskyy's party, but was expelled and illegally left the territory of Ukraine. Fleeing via Transnistria, he was put on the international wanted list. He is often quoted by the Russian media, as are other fugitive Ukrainian politicians. Pro-Kremlin propaganda tries to promote the idea that they express representative currents of opinion of Ukrainian society. Often, their statements are presented in such a way as to make it seem as if they were made inside Ukraine, as was attempted in this case, when it is implied that Dmytruk spoke from the rostrum of the Verkhovna Rada.
BACKGROUND: Ukrainians have protested for the first time since the invasion against the adoption of a controversial law that subordinates the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAP) to the Prosecutor General, who is directly appointed by the president, drastically reducing the independence of these key institutions and threatening the success of Ukraine's European integration process.
Germany’s Foreign Minister has warned that the measure impacts Kyiv’s EU accession efforts, stressing the importance of continuing the fight against corruption. The law was quickly adopted and generated the first major protests since the war started, while the authorities justified it invoking the risk of Russian interference. The protests brought thousands of people to the streets in cities such as Kyiv, Lviv, Odesa and Dnipro, who demanded the law be repealed. EU leaders have called for the restoration of the independence of anti-corruption institutions, and the European Commission has warned that some funds may be suspended unless reforms are observed. After the protests, Zelenskyy promised a new bill to restore the autonomy of NABU and SAP in the context of domestic and external pressure.
